Chapters 66–73

Chapter 66: The Shark Massacre

The crew lashes the sperm whale they have caught to the
side of the ship to be dealt with in daylight. But the men are forced
to poke with spades or kill the numerous sharks that attempt to
devour the whale carcass. Ishmael warns that it is unwise “to meddle
with the corpses and ghosts of these creatures”: Queequeg nearly
has his hand cut off by the sharp teeth of one dead shark
hoisted onto the ship for its skin.

Chapter 67: Cutting In

The gory business of “cutting-in,” or processing the whale,
commences. The cutting-in involves inserting a hook in the whale’s
blubber and peeling the blubber off as one might peel off an orange
rind in one strip.

Chapter 68: The Blanket

As he describes the whale’s blubber, Ishmael argues that
this strip of flesh is actually the whale’s skin. A thin and cellophane-like
layer may be observed outside of the blubber, but this layer is
only the skin of the skin. Ishmael admires the whale for its “thick
walls,” which allow it to live without being affected by its environment.

Chapter 69: The Funeral

After the cutting-in, the whale is released for its “funeral,”
in which the “mourners” are vultures and sharks. The frightful white
carcass floats away, and a “vengeful ghost” hovers over it, deterring
other ships from going near it. Frequently, floating whale corpses
are mistaken for rocks and shoals and thus entered on mariners’
charts, causing future whalers to avoid the area. The whale thus
continues to inspire terror even in death.

Chapter 70: The Sphynx

Ishmael describes the “scientific anatomical
feat” of the whale’s beheading, which occurs before the carcass
is released; the head holds the valuable spermaceti, from which
the finest oil comes. While the crew takes a break for a meal, Ahab
talks to the whale’s head hanging at the ship’s side, asking it
to tell him of the horrors that it has seen.

Chapter 71: The Jeroboam’s Story

While Ahab converses with the whale, the Jeroboam, another
whaling ship, sails into sight. An epidemic has broken out aboard
her, so her captain doesn’t board the Pequod but
brings a small boat alongside for a talk with Ahab. Stubb recognizes
one of the men at the oars of the boat as a man about whom he has
heard from the crew of the Town-Ho during the last
gam. This man, who had been a prophet among the Shakers in New York,
proclaimed himself the archangel Gabriel on the ship, ordered the
captain to jump overboard, and mesmerized the crew. The Jeroboam’s
skipper, Captain Mayhew, wanted to get rid of Gabriel at the next
port, but the crew threatened to desert if he was put ashore.